Concerning memories and tempers
by Gargant Surprise
Summary: The start of a series of IrvinexZell fictions .It'll probably be many a moon before they get posted here, but regardless, here's number one. Much banter really, aiming more for characterization than action. Please be kind, first post.


Title: Concerning memories and tempers

Author: Gargant Surprise

Comments: Irvine and Zell, they banter, we listen, much joy. Yes, this is slash, or at least it's slowly leading up to that conclusion. I intend this to be one of a series, you see? Forgive me for any discrepancies from the plot, FFVIII never was my forte.

This goes out to Mouse-chan/trulybohemian/Kyrin Chu Molko, fer letting meh read SOL, and generally being more awesome than even Indiana.

And so it was that Irvine Kinneas found himself looking out to sea.

It seemed such a short time since he was in his own dormitory back in Galbadia, receiving a dispatch informing him of a secret mission, an attempt on the life of the sorceress Edea. He'd been surprised then, but not nearly so much as the surprise he felt now, looking back at everything that had taken place since.

There are many things in life that can't truly be explained. Phenomena and the like, supposed miracles that Irvine had grown to ignore or discredit without a second though. Yet he could find no way to explain how it could be that he was once more back in the company of his childhood friends, friends he'd always assumed that he would never see again.

Or at least two of them. His thoughts briefly wondered to the absent females of their small group, the three who had gone to the missile base to try and prevent the attack against Balamb. Irvine smiled wistfully, once again gazing around from the balcony on which he was leaning. It seemed they had failed... not only that, but this strange Garden, this Balamb, had possessed some inbuilt safety measure that had allowed it to simpily take off.

Irvine shook his head. If Galbadia had any such system, he was sure that the students would actually _know_ about it. Still, as the outsider, it wasn't really his place to question.

The outsider... now that was a strange thought. One other figure had joined the group since their days at the orphanage, a girl by the name of Rinoa. He couldn't help but think that she seemed to have a better understanding of what was going on than he did, she seemed to be far more readily accepted into the ensemble.

He'd wonder how that could even be possible, considering how he had actually grown up with these people, but he credited it to the GF. Guardian Forces, rumoured to slowly erase the users memories as it gradually took up occupation within their mind. Rumours that from what Irvine had seen were validated...

He heard the door opening behind him, and turned languidly to see Zell Dincht looking at him with apparent distaste, turning on his heel to go again.

Irvine really wasn't sure where this animosity between them had come from. After all, he couldn't think of anything that he might have done to irritate the other. Still, Zell seemed intent to spend as little time with him as possible, as if he had some sort of anti-Kinneas vendetta. Well, Irvine had had enough of it.

"Hey!"

Zell turned quickly, as if he was expecting an attack on his person or something. Irvine waved at him lethargically, "C'mere, what's the rush?"

The blonde seemed almost as if he was going to leave regardless, but apparently decided that there really was nothing better to do, and so stepped over, flinging himself moodily against the railing and glaring sullenly at the horizon. Irvine had to admit that he didn't know much of the man Zell had grown into, but he could certainly remember the irritable, tense little boy he had once been. Irvine had assumed that this part of Zell had been lost now, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that that wasn't the case.

They leaned there silently for a while, Zell frowning constantly, seemingly debating whether or not to share his qualm, whatever that might be. Irvine himself was in no hurry, as ever, and felt no need to force him to speak. After a while however, he grew a little bored of the silence and decided anything was better than this quiet.

"So..." he began, struggling to think of anything to talk about, "how are you finding this new... hmm, mode of transport, shall we call it?"

Zell glanced over at him darkly for a few moments, and Irvine thought that the blonde was going to leave after all, but then he sighed heavily, and seemed to relax. Well, just a little bit at any rate.

"I can't stand this waiting around. We haven't heard from Quistis and the others for weeks now, and Squall spends all his time brooding in his room. The Headmaster always seems too busy to do anything, and everyone's so high-strung after that incident with the Garden Master," he sighed again, his frown returning, darker than ever, "I always thought that we were supposed to be united, not fighting each other!" He waved a hand out towards the sea, which disappeared over the horizon in all directions, "And this drifting is driving me crazy!"

Irvine didn't hide his surprise. Zell seemed to have gone from barely standing him one minute, to... well, that. Irvine could only assume that he hadn't found much opportunity to talk to anyone recently.

"Well..." he began at his usual relaxed pace, "If I know Selphie then you've got nothing to worry about on that front-"

"You barely got time to know her, what makes you so sure now?" Zell glared at him darkly, apparently displeased at this assumption on Irvine's part. The sniper paused for a moment, brushing his bangs back in a nonchalant manner. He kept forgetting that he was only ment to have known them for a month, that he was the only one who could recall their lives before all this chaos.

Maybe Zell was right, all those years could do things to you. None of them were the people he had known all that time ago, he really didn't have any basis to assume that any of them were the same as they had been then. Still, it was all he could really fall back on.

"Maybe it's about time you had a little faith, Dincht" he replied, a little cooler than he had intended. Zell turned his gaze back out to sea, Irvine was unable to tell if he was more or less at ease than before. They stood in silence for a while longer.

"What was it like in Galbadia?"

Irvine was a little startled by the question, but certainly wasn't going to show it. Leisurely shifting his view back around to the blonde, he took a brief moment considering what exactly to say.

"Well, I guess it isn't much like here for one thing. It's bigger, a bit more modern. Not such a good thing really, I guess. It was more specialized than here I think, they seemed pretty eager to bring out peoples skills and all that," he grinned a little, "it's due to that that I'm a sniper these days, I was always alright with a gun, but I never would have really made it if they had noticed potential early on... you churn out Gunblade fighters like Squall here, right?"

Zell nodded, "Well, that's the idea. Squall's the first guy I've ever really known who was any good at it. Except that jerk Seifer," Zell's face darkened at that name, quickly extinguishing Irvine's next question. They had encountered Seifer in Deling, fighting alongside Edea, and he'd heard a little of him since then. He'd intended to ask Zell exactly what was going on with the 'Sorceresses Knight', and if indeed they were ment to be fighting him. Irvine had to admit he wasn't keen on the idea of fighting another of the orphanage kids, especially knowing the others were ignorant of the connection.

It seemed that through everything, Seifer and Zell still didn't get along. Irvine would have smiled, if he didn't believe Zell would think he was poking fun, and consequently throw him overboard.

"Do you mean to go back?" Zell asked, apparently trying to move conversation away from the taller blonde. Irvine gave him an enquiring look, "Back to Galbadia I mean. When we hit land,"

Irvine frowned a little to himself now, looking upwards and away from Zell's questioning gaze. In all honesty he hadn't really thought about it. He'd failed his mission so in theory he was due to return. Still... it was strange how something that he knew was correct didn't feel right.

"Well..."

Well what? What was he ment to say? He'd wanted so desperately to talk, and suddenly it had been thrown back at him. Did Zell want him gone as badly as all that?

"Well," he started again, "I guess that I will. Duty calls and all that, you know? Not really sure how-"

"Don't!"

Irvine looked over at Zell in surprise to see that he had turned away, was now looking off to his right across the sea. Irvine smiled to himself, pleasantly surprised at this sudden change of circumstances.

"What was that Dincht-man?"

Zell turned and glared at him, blushing furiously, "Well, if you go then it'll just be me and Squall! You are one dull guy, but _he's_ even duller! That's all I ment, just stay until the others are back, s'all!"

"Sure, sure, whatever, the secret's out now. Fine, I shall continue to grace you with my presence-"

"Shut up! Like I'd try to inflate your ego any more, tha-"

Irvine laughed aloud, cutting off Zell's indignant ranting. Spinning on his heel, Irvine walked to the opposite end of the balcony and reclined lazily on the rail, elbows propped at each corner. He tipped his hat, still chuckling to himself.

Zell watched him with a mixture of contempt and grudging amusement on his features. "You really are confident, aren't you?"

Irvine glanced up, "Hmmm, me? Well... that'd depend I suppose,"

Zell walked over, leaning beside him and looking for all the world like he'd _somehow_ become relaxed, "What do you mean? I don't think I've ever seen you ill at ease, and considering the kind of pressure you've been under that's saying something!"

Irvine shook his head absent-mindedly, "Squall really didn't tell you about the clock tower, did he?" Zell's confused face might have seemed comical moments ago, but Irvine was suddenly feeling very sombre, "Nah, I figured he wouldn't. Don't worry about it Dincht-man, let's just say I'm not always the self-assured figure I seem, savvy?"

There was a silence for a moment, before Zell spoke up again, unperturbed, "Well, I have no idea what you're talking about. But I saw you at the Desert Prison, and you seemed pretty laid back then. Didn't say anything at the time, kind of busy worrying about, you know, surviving, but I was impressed. We wouldn't have made it without you"

"Weren't you listening to that Rinoa chick? I'd already left, she was the one who made me come back, I would have left you all there otherwise,"

The blonde shook his head, the beginnings of a frown starting to show again. Irvine cursed his own stupidity. "Look-"

"Doesn't matter anymore. You came back, saved day, that's the main thing, right?"

Irvine didn't feel like saying anything, so he didn't.

"Look, Irvine... Kinneas, right?" He nodded, and Zell continued, "I don't know what this clock tower business is, and I'm not really sure I care too. I... didn't mean to say anything wrong, you seemed fine before I..." Irvine suddenly became acutely aware that Zell had tensed up again. The blonde pushed himself off the railing and started to move towards the hatch, still speaking.

"Hey!" Irvine reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around in one quick movement. Zell stood opposite him, a faint blush playing across his face again, and uncertainty clear in his blue eyes. Now that he'd stopped him, he didn't really know what to say, so instead he simpily smiled and gave a leisurely half-shrug.

They stood for a while, neither really quite sure of what to say. Zell scuffed the ground with his foot, seemingly nervous for no reason that Irvine could see, chewing his lip and looking for all the world like the boy he'd been so long ago.

"I used to think you were arrogant," Zell admitted, "You know, full of yourself. Guess I was wrong, huh?"

Irvine waved a hand absently, "Aw, I dunno, I _am_ pretty damn fine."

Zell grinned ruefully, "Well that's shown me then, hasn't it?"

"Well, Zell Dincht, I used to think you were all sorts of things, and so far, you've lived up to every single one,"

Well that got his attention, Irvine noticed with silent glee.

"What was that, what'd you mean? What did you think about me!?" he frowned, indignant once more, "What've you been-"

"Calm down Dincht-man, nothing that'd have you weeping into your pillow if that's what you're thinking,"

Zell smirked, "Dincht-man?"

"You don't approve? Because I've heard mention of a few choice nicknames around the Garden that-"

"Dincht-man is just fine," Zell hurriedly interrupted.

"Oh, I've thought all sorts of things about you, you'll notice that I'm a listener rather than a talker. At least most of the time. I take things in, think things through, rather a cautious kind of guy when it comes down to it," he shrugged again, "or perhaps just lazy, it's hard to tell sometimes. Oh, I've thought lots of different things about _you_. You really are very interesting,"

Zell was blushing yet again, still chewing his lip. "well... I guess I should have paid you a little more attention, huh? You aren't exactly... boring, yourself,"

Now he had him. Irvine grinned down at the shorter man, "Ah, but earlier you called me dull, didn't you? I thought you wanted me around because Squall was even duller than me, and when them ladies turn up again I had to leave? Now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you just contradicted yourself-"

"You tricked me!" Zell cried, bright red and apparently furious, "You... you made me say that to be nice! I, you, you are such an insolent-"

"Charming, really,"

Zell turned around and stormed off, leaving one amused sniper in his wake. Irvine glanced over his shoulder at the ocean. Drifting didn't seem all that bad, providing things kept drifting the way they were.

And so it was that Irvine Kinneas found himself looking out to sea.

Fin.


End file.
